CJ tells ‘Big Mike’, Ian to settle differences

Chief Justice Sat-narine Sharma suggested yesterday to two Carnival band leaders — Mike “Big Mike” Antoine and Ian Mc Kenzie — to work out their differences amicably. The Chief Justice’s  call for peace was made when the Court of Appeal stay-ed an order for costs made by Justice Amrika Tiway-Reddy after she had discharged an injunction she had earlier granted to Mc Kenzie in connection with Legends Limited which produces Carnival bands.   She had ordered Mc Kenzie to pay the legal costs of Antoine’s attorneys, Reginald Armour SC and Simon de la Bastide. Both Antoine and Mc Kenzie were owners and leaders of the Carni-val band  Legends. Mc Kenzie’s attorneys, Seenath Jairam SC, Dereck Ali and Anthony Cherry, had appealed against Justice Tiwary-Reddy’s order and had asked the court to deem their appeal urgent.

The Court of Appeal which included  Sharma, Justices Rolston Nelson and Wendell Kangaloo,  also refused to deem the appeal urgent and further recommended that the parties deal with the substantive matter first. However, in the meantime, the Chief Justice advised that  they should use the time to work things out and defuse whatever animosity there might be. He felt that by staying the order for costs, it might help to reduce the antagonistic feelings be-tween both men and bring them closer to working out a mutual settlement.  The long friendship be-tween both men came to an end after they accused each other of syphoning money from the business. Mc Kenzie filed a civil suit against Antoine claiming that his partner locked him out of the business. After the hearing yesterday, Antoine said that he has no animosity towards Mc Kenzie whom he has always considered as a brother. He said they have both gone their separate ways now, launching different bands. Antoine said his band launch was a success and wished Mc Kenzie the same.